An accreditation process that measures and assesses elements of high quality child care in New Zealand is reported. The process is based on the Early Childhood Program Accreditation procedure established by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, as modified for Australian use by personnel at the Queensland University of Technology. The accreditation process takes place in a number of stages, including the involvement of parents and the community. The steps include registration, self-study, validation, and finally the accreditation decision. The categories of quality include the following: (1) interactions among staff and children; (2) curriculum and programs for children; (3) interactions between staff and parents; (4) staff qualifications and development; (5) staffing patterns; (6) physical environment and setting; (7) health and safety factors; (8) food and nutrition issues; (9) management and administration; and (10) evaluation. Feedback from staff at eight centers indicates some misgivings on the part of staff and includes comments on the relevance of the self-study process and reactions of parents and evaluators. The accreditation process aims to secure a charter for high quality in early childhood services and is based on predetermined criteria of high quality care that can be readily identified and assessed. (LB)